First-year medical student wins prestigious pathology award

May 31, 2013

First-year UC Davis medical student Amrita Krishnamurthy has won the 2013 Hematology Opportunities for the Next-Generation of Research Scientists Award, also known as the HONORS Award, from the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

Krishnamurthy will receive a $5,000 stipend for research support and up to two $1,000 travel awards to present her findings at the 2013 ASH annual meeting, scheduled for Dec. 7-10 in New Orleans, as well as at the 2014 ASH annual meeting, set for Jan. 24-25 in San Francisco.

Krishnamurthy was nominated by her mentors in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Professor Ralph Green, and Assistant Professor Mingyi Chen.

The title of Krishnamurthy’s research project is “Chronic Anemia Post Gastric Bypass Surgery: Mimicking Myelodysplatic Syndrome: More than just Iron and Copper Deficiency.” She will spend the summer collecting and analyzing clinical data as well as performing bench work to include cell culture, gene expression by PCR, ELISA assay, histology and immunohistochemistry.

After graduating from medical school, Krishnamurthy hopes to pursue an internal medicine residency and specialize in hematology/oncology. Krishnamurthy already has begun her research activities in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and is excited about the potential results.

“As we gain a greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying various cancers and hematological disorders, it will be possible to develop targeted therapies and practice personalized medicine,” she said.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu.